6 GOINGS ON ABOUT TOWN ., '#JF " ., Jt v '" ,. .,.411""', J,. & '." ",, , '1 / , 't- \ \ \ " t :tj ! \ ' ,"'- ..... ,; .. '1..- Ezleen Atkins in "A Room of One's Own" THE THEA TR.E W HEN the General Cinema Cor- pora tion made an offer to buy Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in J an u- ary, a colleague of ours, thinking no doubt of the mounds of debt that would be acquired in the bargain, asked "Why?" We had a ready an- swer: "Virginia Woolf." As the Ameri- can publisher of that writer's backlist, Harcourt sells tens of thousands of copies of her books each year; the publisher, in effect, superintends Bloomsbury's legacy in this country. It's a legacy that has lost some of its lustre in recent years. N eocon- serva ti ve commen ta tors have a t- tacked the cohort's hedonism and lack of productivity relative to Victorian forebears. Mainstream critics have whittled away at these writers' repu- tation for technical advance. And ren- egades have complained about the group's snobbery; Mrs. Woolf's novel "Orlando," Angela Carter announced recently on British television, is "a slobbering valentine to a member of the upper classes." The quarter from whose slights Mrs. Woolf. if not Bloomsbury, had seemed immune was the feminist one. "A Room of One's Own," the novelist's 1929 ada pta tion of lectures she gave to undergraduates at Cambridge University's Newnham and Girton colleges, has long been d favorite of women's-studies instructors Over the past few years, however, many femi- nist scholars have seemed to find Mrs Woolf's rambling talks on the subject of women and fiction less incisive than they used to. For example, her asser- tion that no female "wrote a word of that extraordinary literature" of the Elizabethans now simply rings false, given the recent discovery and dis- semination of numerous texts from the period written by women Interestingly, none of the rec ît assa ul ts against the volume seerr 0 } S-M-T-W-T- 1 25 26 27 28 3 4 5 6 F-S 2 have affected its popularity. (Ameri- can sales alone last year reached seventy thousand.) Nor were they suf- ficient to compel Londoners to stay away from Patrick Garland's stage ada pta tion of the classic last year. The production, which stars Eileen Atkins and begins previews this Thursday at the Lamb's Theatre, may find similar success here. OPENINGS AND PREVIEWS (Please call the phone number listed with the theatre for schedule and ticket information.) THE BIG LovE-Tracey Ullman stars in a comedy by Brooke Allen and Jay Presson Allen It is based on Florence Aadland and Tedd Thomey's 1961 book about an affair that Aadland's teen-age daughter had with Errol Flynn Previews through March 2 Opens March 3 at 7. (Plymouth, 236 W. 45th St 239-6200.) CIRCLE REPERTORY COMPANy-Jon PolIto and Pe- ter Riegert star in ROAD TO NIRVANA, a satire by Arthur Kopit. Previews through March 2 Opens March 3 at 7:30. (99 Seventh Ave. S 924-7100.) A FIERCE ATTACHMENT- Tovah Feldshuh in a one- woman play written by Edward M. Cohen and based on Vivian Gornick's memoir of the same name. Previews Feb. 26-27. Opens Feb 28 at 8 (Jewish Repertory Theatre, 344 E 14th St. 505-2667.) THE HAUNTED HOST-Harvey Fierstein and Jason Workman in a quick revival of Robert Patrick's 1964 comedy. Opens March 1 at 8, and runs through March 17 (La Mama, 74A E 4th St. 475-7710.) HENRY IV, PARTS I AND II-The sixteenth and seventeenth plays in the Public's Shake- speare Marathon, both directed by JoAnne Akalai tis, will run in repertory through March 31 Part I opens Feb. 26 at 6:30; Part II opens Feb. 27 at 8 (Public. 425 Lafayette St. 598-7150.) I CAN GET IT FOR You WHOLESALE-A revival of the 1962 J erome Weidman-Harold Rome musical, presented by the American Jewish Theatre In previews. (Susan Bloch, 307 W. 26th St 633-9797.) THE LEARNED LADIEs-The Molière work, in a new translation by Freyda Thomas. Featuring Jean Stapleton Previews through March 5. Opens March 6 at 7 (CSC 136 E 13th St. 677-4210.) LIFE DURING W ARTIME-A dark comedy b) Keith Reddin, which had Its première last year at the La Jolla Playhouse, in San Diego The cast includes Leslie Lyles, Bruce Norris, W. H. Macy, and Welker White. Previews through March 3. Opens Mdrch 5 at 8. (Manhattan Theatre Club, at City Center, 131 W 55th St 581-7907.) Moscow STUDIO-THEATRE-Presenting the first of two shows in a hrief engagement: A TEACHER OF RUSSIAN, by Aleksandr Buravsky, March 5- 7 at 8. (Triplex, 199 Chambers St. 618-1980) OCCASIONAL GRACE-A "site-specific" produc- tion, presented by the En Garde Arts compa- ny Written by Michael Ahn, Neena Beber, Magdalia Cruz, and Talvin Wilks, with mu- sic by Amina Claudine Myers. Previews Feb. 27-March 1 Opens March 2 at 8. (St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 346 W. 20th St. For infor- mation about tickets, call 274-8123.) A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN-Patrick Garland's ad- aptation of the Virginia Woolf classic, star- ring Eileen Atkins. The show i imported from London; Mr. Garland directed. Pre- views Feb. 28-March 3 Opens March 4 at 7:30. (Lamb's, 130 W. 44th St. 997-1780.) THE SPEED OF DARKNEss-Len Cariou and Ste- phen Lang have the leads in a play by Steve Tesich. Directed b) Robert Falls. Also with Lisa Eichhorn Previews through Feb. 27. Opens Feb. 28 at 6:45. (Belasco, 111 W. 44th St 239-6200) THE SUBSTANCE OF FIRE-A play by Jon Robin Baitz, with Patrick Breen, Sarah Je sica Parker, Ron Rifkin, Jon Tenney, and Maria Tucci. Previews begin March 1 (Playwrights Horizons, 416 \\;. 42nd St. 279-4200.) RECENTLY OPENED ABSENT FRIENDs-Alan Ayckbourn's almost con- tinuously funny comedy, with melancholy undertones, about three English suburban couples who give a tea for an old friend whose fiancée has recently drowned As the actIon proceeds, we come to realize that he is in better shape, emotionally speaking, than any- one present The performance, under Lynne Meadow's direction, is all any playwright could wish for Peter Frechette is the be- reaved; Brenda Blethyn is the hostess; and Ellen Parker, Gillian Anderson, David Purdham, and John Curless are among the consolers. Distinguished setting and cos- tumes by John Lee Beatty and Jane Green- wood (Reviewed in our issue of 2/25/91.) (Manhattan Theatre Club, at City Center, 131 W 55th St. 581-7907. Closes March 17.) LA BÊTE- Why is this mock-seventeenth-century didactic comedy so titled? Why is it set where and when it is, unless to give its author, David Hirson, who has a flair for doggerel, a chance to write in rhymed couplets? Why does it exist at all, except to give Andrew Lloyd Webber (who co-produced, along wIth Stuart Ostrow) another opportunity to turn poetry into a commodity à la "Cats"? Final- ly, why doesn't somebody please produce a real seventeenth-century didactic comedy, so that actors like Michael Cumpsty, James Greene, and Dylan Baker (who appear here) might have something substantial to work with? (2/25/91) (Eugene O'Neill, 230 W. 49th St. 246-0220 ) BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY-Anyone who thinks that rock and roll lives on had better steer clear of this ersatz docu-musical about the life of Buddy Holly (11/19/90) (Shubert, 225 W. 44th St. 239-6200) CAMILLE, A TEARJERKER-Everett Quinton and the late Charles Ludlam are both at their best in this revival of Mr. Ludlam's 1973 spoof, which gives Mr Quinton a chance to "play the whore" on a grand scale. (Charles Ludlam Theatre, 1 Sheridan Square. 691- 2271. Closes March 3.) CANDIDA-Laurie Kennedy has the title role in this production of Shaw's play. Presented by the Riverside Shakespeare Company (Play- house 91, at 316 E. 91st St 831-2000) CARREÑO-A show based on the life of Teresa Carreño, the Venezuelan composer, pianist, conductor, and singer. Written and per- formed by Pamela Ross and directed by Gene Frankel. Most performances are in English; a few are in Spanish. (INTAR, 420 W. 42nd St. 279-4200.) DAUGHERTY & FIELD OFF-BROADWAY- The cabaret team of Bill Daugherty and Robin Field in a revue of swing and show tunes (Double Im- age, 15 Vandam St 924-1120.) THE FEVER-A one-man play written by, and starring, Wallace Shawn (Second Stage, Broadway at 76th St. 873-6103. Feb. 26- March 3.... fj] Public, 425 Lafayette St. 598-7150. March 4-10.) FIDDLER ON THE RooF-The Israeli actor Topol makes a commanding Tevye-the be t of all of them-in this production, which falls somewhere between revival and facsimile. The songs are by Bock and Harnick; the dances and direction are re-created from the Jerome Robbins originals; and the costumes are from the Patricia Zipprodt originals. (12/3/90) (Gershwin, 51st St. west of Broad- way. 586-6510 ) JACKIE MASON: BRAND NEw-The comedian brings his one-man show to Broadway again. (Neil Simon, 250 W. 52nd St. 246-0102.) JEAN COCTEAU REPERTORY-Presenting three plays in rotating repertory: Ibsen's WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN and a double bill of Georg Büchner's WOYZECK and LEONCE AND LENA, which were adapted by Eric Bentley (Bouwerie Lane Theatre, 330 Bowery, at Bond St 677- 0060.) JUBA-A musical based on the life of the dancer William Henry (J uba) Lane. The book and lyrics are by Wendy Lamb and the score is by Ru sell Walden. Kevin Ramsey has the title role. Presented by AMAS Musical The- atre and directed by Shaldon Epps. (Vine- yard, 108 E. 15th St. 279-4200 Closes March 10.)